Tuesday, October 19, 2010

13.1

I learned that to get to a half marathon, one that is located in Lowell, one that begins at 8 a.m., one with a lot of traffic, you have to get up really early. Four in the morning early. I learned that eating one breakfast in the pitch-black pre-dawn and then another right before the 8 a.m. start is a good idea. But I also learned that it would have been a better idea to pack something else, one of those high-sugar bars, one of those caloried Gu packets that I saw empty and littered all over the ground on the course, because halfway through my run I was hungry again. Really hungry. I learned that running among hundreds of people can be tricky, with all the pacing and passing and maneuvering curves. I learned that I’m really competitive, even when I don’t mean to be. I learned that pushing myself hard—harder than I expected—is painful. But also awesome. I learned that I love to run. And that I don’t love to race.

So there you have it. My first half marathon. I ran it in an hour and fifty-four minutes. The little medal that they hung around my neck as soon as I finished is now hanging on my fridge. I’m glad I did it. I’m glad it’s done.

When Matt and I arrived at home after the race on Sunday, I limped up the stairs, chugged some water, and I took a nap. A long nap. And then I got up. And then I cooked. My mother and her boyfriend, Charley, came over for dinner. They brought a nice bottle of wine and a hunk of my favorite cheese. I made Chicken Normandy, a lovely dish rich with apples, apple cider, brandy and cream. I served it over puddles of creamy polenta and alongside green beans, which I simply sautéed in butter and seasoned with salt and pepper. For dessert: pumpkin pie. Whipped cream. Sleep.

6 comments:

congrats on running your first half marathon! I ran my first marathon in May and I remember how amazingly difficult it was - but how proud I was of myself at the end. And pumpkin pie for dessert - awesome. :0)

That is a FANTASTIC time! Congratulations! And I love that you cooked after ... I had plans to do that on Sunday after my race but, um, my body had other plans, which included the couch and immobility. Also love that we both had races on the same day -- virtual running buddies :) So glad you've realized how much you love running.

i marathon only for the food rewards attached - well not only, but mainly! awesome time! congratulations...isn't 'running eating' is totally different than regular eating - i'll eat things when running that i'd never eat otherwise, 'gu' included.